


A Very Serenity Christmas

by thehyacinthgirl



Category: Firefly, Serenity (2005)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-20
Updated: 2013-12-25
Packaged: 2018-01-05 05:42:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1090279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehyacinthgirl/pseuds/thehyacinthgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christmas Drabbles.. in the verse, Wash didn't die, but Book did. Note: It's sappy and romantic. :)</p><p>Chapter 1: Zoe and Wash<br/>Chapter 2: Mal and Inara<br/>Chapter 3: Simon and Kaylee<br/>Chapter 4: River and Jayne<br/>Chapter 5: All Together</p><p>FINISHED.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Zoe smiled at her husband's handiwork. Wash had put up bright white and red lights across the ceiling of the bunk, and a small Christmas tree with cheerful ornaments in the empty corner of the room. Three presents sat underneath it, wrapped in shiny blue paper, and red bows. 

Zoe sat on the bed near to Wash, and looked at him, lovingly. 

"You did good, honey." 

"I know." Wash grinned. "Now don't get sappy, we wouldn't want the Captain to know you are a sucker for holidays."

"Oh, never." Zoe took Wash's hand, and leaned her head against his shoulder. She pulled her other hand up, and slid a hand under the collar of his shirt. She felt the hard tissue of the scar where he was injured years ago while they fought for the secret of Miranda that River had held onto. 

Wash sighed, but it was a happy sigh. They heard the click of the door, and two little feet started down the ladder. At the bottom, she plopped down and skipped across the floor to her parents. 

"Daddy, the lights are like stars!" she exclaimed and Wash pulled her up onto the bed, between them. 

"I was just saying what a good job he did, Gracie." Zoe smiled and pushed a blonde curl away from her face. She loved that Gracie got Wash's blonde hair but a darker skin tone. She was perfect. 

"Can I open my present, please Mommy?" Gracie tucked her lip out like Zoe was sure that Kaylee taught her, since she had seen Kaylee give the look to Mal often. Zoe looked at Wash, and he grinned. 

"I have just the one." Wash walked over and picked up the biggest box from under the tree. She would get many presents from the crew tomorrow, it was nice to have their own little Christmas together. Wash sat down and placed the box on Gracie's lap. Gracie almost couldn't contain her joy and she ran her fingers across the bright red ribbon. 

"It's so beautiful." Gracie said, and suddenly ripped the side off. She opened the box. "Wow! I love them!" 

She jumped down to the floor to play with her toys, and Wash and Zoe cuddled up on the bed, watching their daughter.

"This is my favorite moment." Zoe whispered, and Wash squeeze her hand. 

Gracie on the floor held two dinosaurs. Zoe and Wash could hear her little voice, pretending to be one of the dinosaurs. 

"We will rule over all this land and we will call it... This Land."


	2. Chapter 2

Inara was lighting a candle in her shuttle when she hear footsteps at the door, a pause, and a knock. She smiled, because she knew only Mal would hesitate. She walked over silently to the door, and opened it. She leaned her head towards the door.

"I didn't know if you would come by. I got you a present." She smiled, and moved to let Mal in the door.

"Really? I'm bursting with excitement." He shook his hands like a teenage girl. Inara wrinkled her nose but kept smiling, and swiped her hand across his shoulder.

"Be good, Mal."

"Never."

He came in and sat down on the couch. Inara lit the last candle, leaving a comfortable white glow around the room. She walked into the bedroom and came back out with a small box in her hands, wrapped in gold paper. She handed it to Mal and sat down beside him. He moved slightly closer, and Inara's heart skipped a beat.

They both knew they loved each other, shared kisses, and caresses but never had said it out loud. They were both as stubborn as much as they were in love. Mal pulled down his knife, and cut the paper. He put it back in his pocket and opened the cut wrapping. Inside a small brown box was a pocket watch.

"It's from Earth that Was. There's a twist in the back to keep it running. It still does. It sounds like a heartbeat."

It was gold with a large face and matching chain. On the back, the clockwork gears could be seen. In the lid, Inara had engraved _You are my Serenity_.

"Wow, Inara, this is.. beautiful." She could tell Mal was touched. She placed a hand on his knee, and squeezed it gently. He set the watch down and pulled a thin, long box out of his pocket.

"Open yours." Inara took the box, which was wrapped in brown paper. It was plain but Inara loved that, it was very much Mal's style. She opened the box, and found a gorgeous white and light blue fan. It had a bird pattern on it. Mal slid off the couch, and got on his knee in front of her.

"Let's see how it looks next to your pretty face." Inara could feel her cheeks get red, and she flicked her wrist to fan it out, looking into his eyes.

Then she caught a glimmer, and looked at the inside of the fan she had opened up. There was a small gold ring attached to the fabric. Her lips parted, and she looked at Mal. He was smiling.

"I'm sorry it's taken me so long to tell you think. You know I'm no good with words. You are the most important person in my life, and I want you to always stay that way. Will you marry me?" Mal suddenly looked ill as he paused for her answer.

"Without a doubt." She pulled his face to hers and smothered him in kisses.


	3. Chapter 3

The roar of the turning engine sounded like a purr. Kaylee smiled, and wiped her hands off on her pants. This was more her home than when she lived with her parents. She stroked her hand across the side of the engine cover. The small gold lights she hung across the doorway, lit up the room. 

She hear someone lean against the doorway, and knew who it was without turning, since he was the only man on the ship to wear cologne. When she turned to look at him, she gasped with joy, at the bowl of strawberries in his hand. She grinned, and padded over to him. She picked one up and put it to her lips, and sucked the juice from it. Simon kissed her when she took it from her mouth. When he pulled back, his lips were stained pink. 

"What were you doing? Are you ready for bed?"

"I was just saying goodnight to Serenity." She felt Simon wrap his arms around her waist. They rocked to the soft whirl of the engine. 

"I know. Soon, you will have another baby, too." Simon gently rubbed his hands across Kaylee's expanded belly. She was almost seven months pregnant, and they were thrilled. Simon tried to marry her, but Kaylee just kept saying she wasn't the marrying type, until River said something about being able to use the pink dress again. Kaylee was opening up to the idea of Simon as her husband. She couldn't wait for the little one to get here. Zoe and Wash's daughter really brought life back to the ship, and Kaylee knew this one would as well. 

"Serenity will be so jealous." Kaylee leaned into Simon. She slipped her hand into his, and he kissed her neck. 

"I will ground her if she does." At that, the engine sputtered as if in reply. Kaylee laughed, and it filled the room, like a dozen bells.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this one is shorter than my already short chapters. But Kaylee and Simon have already been so established to me, so it's hard to write something new.
> 
> Tomorrow comes River and Jayne, my OTP.


	4. Chapter 4

Jayne sat at the long table in the kitchen, warming his hands on a mug of tea. He would pour it out if someone can in, but it made him feel closer to home to have tea like his mother used to give him when he was down. He wasn't particurly down, but as he walked through the ship and saw them together.. Mal and Inara, Kaylee and Simon, Zoe, Wash and Gracie. He felt lonely for one of the first times in his life. He didn't even want the comfort of a whore, he just wanted someone to be here with him, and love him. 

His thoughts were interuppted by soft footsteps across the threshold of the door. He turned his head, and River smiled at him. She was wearing a sheer red dress, with white underneath, and was barefoot. She was humming slightly as she came down towards the table. Over the past couple years, she was coming back to herself, and was affected less, or controlled it better, what had happened to her. Jayne pulled the chair beside him out, and she slipped down into it, and dangled one leg over the other. 

"Tea? I wouldn't have expected that." She remarked, peering into his mug. 

"I'm not a predictable sort of man, you know." Jayne smiled back, but it wasn't a full smile. He rarely gave those to anyone. She was growing on him, and he wasn't nearly as cautious around her, but he still couldn't open himself up. 

"I got you a gift, Jayne." She pulled out a package she had been holding that he didn't notice before. She laid it on the table. His name was scrawled on the front, with tiny drawings of ships and flowers. He tugged at the paper, and pulled out red gloves with the fingers cut out. 

"Red looks good on you, and they will keep you warm, but you can still touch Vera." A few days ago, she had come into the cargo bay while Jayne was working on cleaning his favorite gun. He kept rubbing his hands because it was so cold inside the ship. He had even let River help him work on her. 

"I love 'em. I got you something, too." Jayne pushed up from the table, with scrap of the chair against the floor. He walked over to the Christmas tree in the sitting area, and pulled up a hazardly wrapped present. River followed him, and held back a laugh at the sight of the present and the mounds of tape Jayne used to close it. She opened it up, and did a little gasp. Her present was a set of ballet slippers, dyed a light purple, because it was her favorite color. 

"They are beautiful!" She put a hand on Jayne's shoulder, as she slipped them on her feet one at a time. His heart caught in his throat. He could smell the lavendar in her hair, and her hand on his shoulder was so tiny but strong. He took a hard breath, not realizing he had stopped when she touched him. 

She straightened up and smiled at him, then looked up. Jayne followed her gaze, and realized Kaylee must have put up mistletoe again. He saw the green and red bundle hanging by a ribbon at the top of the doorframe. He felt River's hands on his sides, and looked at her. She didn't bother to wait for him to think it through, she just pulled up on her tippy toes, and kissed him. He pulled her closer, and kissed her back. 

"That was the best present I've ever gotten." As they let go, he gave her a real smile.


	5. Chapter 5

In Serenity's cargo hold, there was an eight foot tree that Mal had cut down off a local planet, that stood right in the middle. Zoe, and River decorated it with shiny blue balls, and white lights, with supervision from Kaylee. Jayne had raised Gracie on his shoulders so she could put the gold star on the top. It was beautiful and lit up the cargo hold. In the morning, on Christmas Day, River had pulled down some pillows from the guest bunks, and the crew sat around the tree. 

Zoe was wearing a dress, for once, given to her by Wash. It was yellow, soft and reminisce of summer. She saw on a crate, while Wash leaned against her legs, from where he was sitting on the floor. She smiled when he looked up at her. Wash had one of the dinosaurs in his hand, since Gracie told him he had to watch him, so the big dinosaur wouldn't eat him again. She went to get a snack from the kitchen. 

Kaylee and Simon walked in, though Kaylee's was more a waddle.Simon helped her ease down into a huge pile of pillows, and cuddled up next to her, a protective hand on her stomach. They spoke in hushed, sickenly sweet tones.

Jayne came down the stairway, and plopped down on the floor, in between the other couples. He was wearing his hat from his mother, and the gloves from River. 

"You look mighty shiny, Jayne." Wash announced, in good spirits. Jayne made a face, but he was in good spirits, as well, and let it go. He looked to the doorway, and grinned when he saw River come through, with Gracie at her heels. River was carrying a tray of mugs, and wearing her purple slippers with a silky purple dress to match. She handed out the mugs to the others, set the tray down, and brought two with her, as she sat down next to Jayne. She handed him a mug. He wanted to kiss her right there, but knew he shouldn't. River had been over legal age for years but Jayne knew Mal thought of her as a daughter, and him and Simon would probably have a fit when they found out. 

Gracie skipped around, spilling popcorn out of the box she was carrying. Zoe pulled Gracie up, as Wash took the bowl and began to munch on handfuls of popcorn. Gracie squirmed in her mother's lap and giggled. 

Wash began to talk about Christmas memories of his family back on his home planet, as the rest of them laughed at him trying to talk and munch at the same time. FInally, Inara and Mal slipped in. They were holding hands and that was enough for the rest of the crew to look at them. 

"Well, ah..." Inara saved them from Mal's awkward beginning of a speech by holding up her free hand. Kaylee's sharp eyes zeroed in on the ring, and she flails a little bit in excitement, and slapped Simon. 

"Get me up!" Simon hurries and gets her up, and Kaylee pulls Inara into a huge hug. "I'm so excited for you." She turns and slaps Mal on his arm. "Took you long enough!" Mal half-shrugged, sheepishly. 

River placed her hand over Jayne's, and leaned into him as she watched Inara and Mal lavish in the attention of the crew. Jayne decided to take advantage while they were busy, and kissed the side of River's head. Simon looked back at just the right time but after a moment, didn't say anything and just turned his attention back to whatever Kaylee was gushing about. Jayne felt a weight left off his chest. If Simon was okay with it, then Mal would be. 

"Okay." Mal stated, and everyone said down, hot chocolate mugs in hand. "I just want to say.. I'm very proud to have you as my crew. And as my family. Merry Christmas." Everyone repeated the sentiment, and talking and laughing broke out. Gracie raced to the tree, and pulled a present. She looked at Mal, asking if it was present time, and he agreed. 

River and Jayne watched the commotion and Gracie running around, delivering presents into the laps of who they were for. River smiled, and thought how lovely it was, to herself, and to Serenity, their home.

**Author's Note:**

> My Tumblr is [Trope Queen](http://tropequeen.tumblr.com).


End file.
